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Christi Craddick comes to Sweetwater for meet and greet

Sweetwater Mayor Greg Wortham recently hosted a meet and greet for Christi Craddick, the Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission. The event was held on Friday afternoon, October 26 in downtown Sweetwater.Craddick has local ties, as her mother grew up in Sweetwater and their family played a strong role in the development of the community for over a century. At the local gathering, some of Craddick's family members were in attendance--such as her young daughter, mother and her grandmother, Jo Nayfa of Sweetwater.Her stop in Sweetwater is part of a tour that included Abilene, Sweetwater, Amarillo and Midland, where Craddick grew up. As she addressed the attendees of the event, she reiterated that the Railroad Commission has nothing to do with railroads. Should she be elected, Craddick stated that they hope to change the name in the next legislative cycle, with "Texas Energy Commission" as one possible title.The Texas Railroad Commission is involved with nuclear, coal, gas and oil industries. In these industries, Craddick cited that the state has created up to one-third of new jobs.Sweetwater is under the Railroad Commission's jurisdiction, in which the town is the center of the new Cline Shale oil exploration and production area. With thousands of well locations already planned, major oil companies anticipate 15 years of drilling and three decades of oil production in the area.A lot is going on with the commission, stated Craddick. She hopes her experience will help bring about fair, consistent regulations and put an end to the over-reach of the federal government.Texas' railroad commission knows how to do these things and strives to remain strong without the federal government's over-involvement. With over 35 states desiring to know the Texas pattern, Craddick says that she hopes the railroad commissioners--herself included, if elected--can make friends in Congress.She urged constituents to get out and vote in the November 6 election in an effort to talk about the important issues. Regarding oil and gas, Craddick stated that the United States is almost as big as Saudi Arabia as a source for oil. Texas itself, she added, could even be considered the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. Craddick said that we should use what we have--like wind and solar, as well as develop these resources and others. Additionally, she looks forward to feedback from all areas of the state. If elected, Craddick hopes to get out of the legislative area in order to speak, learn and become an effective and efficient representative as new but good challenges lie ahead for the Texas Railroad Commission.To learn more about Craddick and her stand on the issues, visit her website at www.christicraddick.com.